Locked laundry bag



April 8, 1930. G.,F. THAXTON 1,753,254

LOCKED LAUNDRY BAG Filed April 6, 1928 eo/ ef Patented Apr. 8, 1930 GEORGE r. THAXTON, or SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

LOCKED LAUNDR "BAG Application filed April 6,

novel means for sealing the bag and said means including a. lock or seal bearing a serial number or like indicating character, and the key for unlocking the sealing means bearing a similar serial number or character and being retained in possession of the housewife while the clothes are laundered so that the bag when returned from the laundry can be opened only by the holder of the key or like unlocking means; the clothes being laundered tance lnward from their contacting ends have I alining openingstherethrough, and there is adapted to be passed through these openings while in the bag.

The improvement is illustrated by the accompanying drawings and will be clearly described in the following specification and specifically set forth in the claim.

In the drawings: I j

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improvement.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view of the key attached thereto.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the slide.

Figure 6 is a similar view of the clamp.

My invention is designed to include mesh bags 1. The open mesh bags are preferably formed of heavy netting or other material that will insure the strength thereof, so that the same will withstand the strain to which it is subjected when placed in the'laundering machine and when acted on by the centrifugal water extractors.

Before entering a detailed description of my improved method I will set forth the means for sealing the mouth of the bags 1. This means, as clearly disclosed by the drawings includes a clamping member 2. The clamping member is formedfrom a single strip of spring metal that is rust-proof and that is centrally rounded upon itself to prowith the tag engagement.

- confusion.

192s. SerialNo. 268,004. vi'de inwardly arched arms or'sides 3, andithe free ends of these sides 3 are in contacting The arms or sides 3 of the clamp'are. spread when the same isarranged over the mouth or neck of the bag and the bag '1, is, of course, compressed between the arms of the clamp as clearly disclosed. by Figure 3 of the drawings. As stated, the free ends of the arms of the clamp exert a pressure toward each other, and this permits of-the arrangement of the said ends over a slide 4. The'slide is in the nature of a metal plate -of non-corrosive material, the said plate being formed with" a central opening 5 that receives therethrough the ends of the clamp 2; The slide is brought against the folded neck of the bag to cause the same to be properly bunched against the inner surface of the clamp. The arms 3 of the clamp 2, at a disthe shackle7ofa lock 8.

The slide 4, and the clamp 2. may, if desired, bear similar serial numbers or like indi 7 cia but as any of the slides 4 may be arranged Over any of the clamps 2-this mightcause a Therefore each of the locks Sis provided on its outer face with a serial number or like indicating indicia 10 and the key 11 for each ofthe locks 8 hasattached thereto by aring or similarmeans 12 a tag l3 that bearsa serial number or indicia 14 corresponding to the serial number or indicia 10 I on the lock 8. 6

The system may be briefly described as follows: The laundry driver calls at the cus tomers house for a washing equipped with two or more of the nets having the locks and keys bearing the same serial number or like-E indicia. The customer has the washing already assorted into white and colored bundles, or in case of light flimsy white clothes she may have a bundle of light white and a bundle of heavy white which would be placed 69 in difierent net bags. In any case he would place the clothes in the several bags andthey will be locked or sealed by the driver in her presence and the numbered key will be left in her possession. The driver makes E1100 note of the serial number on the locks of the bags received, so that they will he returned after the clothes therein are laundered to the proper customer. The net bags containing the clothes are placed in the laundry machine and after being washed and the water thereof forced therefrom by the usual centrifugal extactors, the driver again returns the bag, with the laundered clothes therein, to the housewife. The housewife produces her numbered key, unlocks the bag and empties her clothes and returns the net, together with the looking or clamping means to the driver and the transaction .is thus brought to a finish.

The advantages of my improved method and means is that the housewife can get her clothes wet washed without anyone else handling the individual pieces. The nets are sealed or locked from the time they leave the housewife until returned so that there can be no loss or theft of the clothes sent to the laundry. The housewife assorts her own clothes, thereby insuring each of her classifications receiving propertreatment and eliminates error of classification by some laundry employee through carelessness. improvement tends to increase the confidence in the laundry and should increase the business of the laundry.

Having described the inventlon, I claim:

The combinationwith a. mesh laundry bag, of means for sealing the mouth thereof, said means comprising a substantially U-shaped clasp formed from spring metal, the free ends of the arms of the clasp being normally engaged and exerting a tension toward each other, said substantially U-shaped clasp being designed to be arranged about the mouth of the bag, a metallic plate having a centrally disposed slot therein for receiving the free ends of the arms, said free ends having openingstherein to receive thehasp of a lock to retain the plate on the arms and .a keyfor said lock and said lock andkey having corresponding identification indicia' thereon.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature,

GEORGE F. THAXTON.

Thus the 

